Predator’s Prey

He stumbled forward, his blood painting the snow in uneven streaks as he clutched at his injured arm. Each step felt heavier than the last, his strength draining with every agonizing breath. His vision blurred, crimson staining his view, and the cold bit at his exposed skin like icy needles.

Ezra staggered to a nearby tree, its bark rough against his back as he slid down to rest. His trembling fingers pressed against his bleeding shoulder, but it did little to staunch the flow. The snow beneath him darkened, soaked by his lifeblood.

He let his head fall back against the tree, closing his eyes for a brief moment as a bitter laugh escaped his lips. "I'm not strong enough," he muttered, the words barely audible over the guttural growls growing louder around him.

The creatures moved closer, their twisted forms emerging from the shadows, their glowing yellow eyes fixed on him. Each step they took felt like a drumbeat of his impending end, echoing in his chest. Ezra's gaze turned upward, searching for some distraction from the inevitability of his fate.

And then he saw them.

Dozens of beady, unblinking eyes stared back at him from the branches above. His breath caught in his throat as his heart sank.

Perched among the skeletal limbs of the tree was the spider-like creature from before. Its grotesque, segmented body glistened faintly in the pale light, and its sharp legs clung effortlessly to the bark, poised and ready.

"Yeah," Ezra muttered, a weak, humorless smile tugging at his lips as his head lolled to the side. "Today is definitely my last day."

The spider creature's fanged maw twitched as if in response, its many legs clicking rhythmically against the tree trunk as it began its slow, deliberate descent. The sound sent shivers racing up Ezra's spine, but amid the fear and exhaustion, a dumb thought crossed his mind.

'Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well try. Just need to move a little bit closer.'

His eyes flicked toward the creature's legs, then to the nearest patch of jagged rocks just a few feet away. The monsters circling him seemed oblivious, either too dumb to notice his subtle movements or too entranced by the scent of his blood to care.

Just a little bit closer.

Ezra shifted slightly, his blood-slicked fingers pressing against the bark of the tree as he tried to steady himself. Pain shot through his shoulder, sharp and unrelenting, but he gritted his teeth and forced his body to comply. The snow beneath him crunched faintly as he edged to the side, every movement deliberate and agonizing.

The spider-like creature hissed faintly, its grotesque body drawing nearer with each calculated step. Its bulbous abdomen twitched, and its fangs glistened with some kind of dark, viscous liquid that dripped onto the bark below. Ezra's heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to focus.

'Keep moving. Just a little bit more.'

The other creatures, their glowing yellow eyes locked on him, crept closer in tandem.

Their guttural growls and sharp, clicking noises filled the air, but none of them seemed to notice the subtle shift in Ezra's position—or they simply didn't care.

He was playing with death. The spider-like creature's legs reached the lowest branch now, its fanged maw twitching eagerly as its many eyes gleamed in the faint light.

'Almost there…'

Ezra clenched his jaw, his fingers brushing against the cold, jagged edge of a rock half-buried in the snow. His free hand hovered near his dagger, readying himself for what would likely be his final stand. The creature loomed closer, its shadow falling over him like a suffocating blanket.

'Now or never.'

They attacked all at once, a chaotic storm of claws, fangs, and guttural snarls descending upon him. Ezra summoned every ounce of willpower left in his battered body, his instincts screaming for him to move. With a desperate lunge, he dove out of the way, snow flying up in his wake as he rolled across the frozen ground.

It was then that the spider-like creature pounced.

The monstrous arachnid launched itself from the tree with terrifying speed, its fanged maw snapping as it descended on the spot where Ezra had just been. The ground trembled faintly under the impact, its many legs splaying out as it landed in a predatory crouch. The smaller creatures froze momentarily, their glowing yellow eyes fixating on the larger beast, their guttural growls turning to wary clicks.

Ezra scrambled to his feet, his vision swimming from the pain and exertion. Blood dripped steadily from his shoulder, staining the snow in uneven streaks as he clutched his dagger tightly. His eyes darted between the spider and the other creatures, realization dawning.

They weren't allies.

The spider-like creature hissed, its bulbous abdomen twitching as it reared up, its fangs bared at the smaller abominations. The other monsters growled low, their postures stiff and uncertain as they circled the larger predator.

Ezra's breath came in shallow gasps, his body trembling from cold and exhaustion.

'This might be my only chance, let them fight it out.'

The spider hissed again, louder this time, and lunged at one of the smaller creatures, its needle-like legs stabbing into the snow with shocking force. The smaller abomination screeched as it tried to dodge, but the spider's fangs sank into its side, ichor spilling onto the ground in thick, black rivulets.

Ezra didn't waste a second. With the monsters distracted, he bolted toward the rocks, his boots crunching against the snow as he ducked low, trying to stay out of sight. The sounds of the fight grew louder behind him—snarls, hisses, and the sickening crunch of flesh and bone.

'Let them tear each other apart'

'I just have to stay alive long enough to figure a way out of this.'